The invention relates generally to firearms, and, more particularly, to an arrangement for opening the dust flap of a firearm.
The position terms used in this patent, like xe2x80x9cfrontxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbackxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9ctopxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbottomxe2x80x9d or the like always assume a weapon in the normal firing position; (i.e., a weapon position in which the center axis of the barrel of the weapon runs generally horizontally and the direction of firing points xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d away from the shooter). The same convention applies for the direction statements used herein (xe2x80x9cto the frontxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cupwardxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cleftwardxe2x80x9d, etc.).
The cartridge casings in automatic firearms are generally ejected through an ejection opening on the weapon housing after the firing process. To prevent contaminants, like sand, etc., from reaching the interior of the weapon through the ejection opening, the ejection opening is often closed by a cover which is only opened for casing ejection. An example of this approach is the British SA-80 rifle, in which the shooter can manually close the ejection opening by means of a flap. The flap is automatically opened during shooting as soon as the first casing is ejected.
A mechanism to open such a protective flap is known from DE-PS 501 266. The protective flap is mounted to rotate adjacent the ejection opening and is loaded by a torsion spring, which seeks to pivot the protective flap into its opened position. In the closed state, the protective flap snaps onto the weapon housing via a claw, so that it is secured in its closed position against the force of the spring. The bolt assembly has an elevation on one side that engages beneath the claw of the protective flap during movement of the bolt assembly, (for example, during shooting). This engagement with the bolt assembly lifts the claw from its locked position. The protective flap then springs open under the load of the spring to expose the ejection opening for casing ejection.
The automatic firearms now in use generally have a bolt assembly that is arranged to move in the longitudinal direction of the weapon. After firing of a cartridge, casing ejection occurs. This ejection is affected when the bolt assembly travels rearward and a claw-like extractor on the bolt assembly surface pulls the empty cartridge casing from the barrel. The bottom of the cartridge casing then strikes against a protrusion fixed on the housing, so that the cartridge is tilted laterally and ejected through the ejection opening.
The ejection process just described can also be produced manually by the shooter. This manual ejection is necessary, for example, when a cartridge does not fire during the shooting process and is not automatically ejected. The shooter must then reload by hand, whereupon the still live cartridge is ejected. The term cartridge casing, as used herein, therefore does not refer merely to spent casings, but also to the casings of live cartridges.
Present day semiautomatic weapons and submachine guns are generally designed only for right-hand use. In these weapons the casings are ejected on the right side during firing. Therefore, a left-handed shooter who fires the weapon from the left shoulder, faces the hazard of being struck on the right arm by the ejected cartridge casings. This hazard represents a significant burden for the shooter and makes left-handed use of such a weapon problematical.
In small arms of the so-called bullpup design, the magazine and bolt assembly are positioned behind (instead of in front of) the trigger. The casing ejector arranged above the magazine is, therefore, situated next to, or right in front of, the face when the weapon is aimed. Ejected casings in a right-handed weapon would fly directly against the head or into the face of a left-handed shooter. Therefore, firing with the left hand is extremely hazardous, if not impossible, in a bullpup-type weapon that ejects to the right since the shooter cannot properly aim the weapon, but, instead, is forced to keep the weapon forward, away from the body.
It is known that firing safety and safe handling of weapons among left-handed shooters could be improved if weapons for left-handed use were made available. As a result, there are also weapons (like the French assault rifle FAMAS), in which casing ejection can be alternately set up to the right or the left. The extractor claw in this rifle can alternately be mounted on either of two sites on the bolt assembly surface, so that the spent casings are ejected either to the right or to the left, as desired. Another example is the Austrian Steyr AUG (army universal rifle), in which, as in the FAMAS, the extractor claw can be mounted on either side of the weapon.
Another patent of the current assignee of this patent entitled xe2x80x9cBolt Mechanism for a Firearmxe2x80x9d (U.S. application Ser. No. 09/911,008 which is hereby incorporated herein by reference) also describes possibilities of simplifying conversion of casing ejection between right and left ejection. For this purpose, the bolt assembly or its bolt head is designed so that it can alternately be positioned in either of two positions, and/or an ejector is integrated in the bolt mechanism that removes the cartridge casing from the bolt assembly after extraction from the barrel.
The aforementioned FAMAS and Steyr AUG rifles have ejection openings on both sides of the weapon housing so that, depending on how casing ejection is set up, the cartridge casings fly out through the left or right openings. The unused opening is covered by a cheek protector or plastic plug.
A semiautomatic rifle with adjustable casing ejection and two ejection openings is also known from CH 580 269, in which the unused opening can be firmly closed by a cover. During conversion of casing ejection, the cover (which fits both openings) is switched by hand to the opening not being used for ejection.
This type of arrangement has the drawback that the employed ejection opening is always open, so that contaminants can easily penetrate into the weapon housing and cause functional disorders. It is also a drawback that such a cover must be switched by hand after conversion of casing ejection. If the shooter forgets to switch the cover, there is a hazard that the spent casing will not be ejected, but will instead strike the incorrectly positioned cover. This mishap would immediately result in jamming and possibly also damage to the bolt assembly.
A device for pivotable side ejection for weapons is also known from DE-OS 2 402 445.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for use in a firearm having a housing defining a first ejection opening and a second ejection opening. The apparatus includes a first dust flap mounted adjacent the first ejection opening for movement between an opened position and a closed position. The apparatus also includes a second dust flap mounted adjacent the second ejection opening for movement between an opened position and a closed position. The apparatus also includes a bolt assembly adapted to be selectively mounted in a first assembly position and a second assembly position for longitudinal movement within the housing. Additionally, the apparatus includes an ejection device coupled to the bolt assembly for ejecting cartridge casings through the first ejection opening when the bolt assembly is in the first assembly position and for ejecting cartridge casings through the second ejection opening when the bolt assembly is in the second assembly position. When the bolt assembly is in the first assembly position, a longitudinal movement of the bolt assembly moves the first dust flap to the opened position and, when the bolt assembly is in the second assembly position, the longitudinal movement of the bolt assembly moves the second dust flap to the opened position.
Other features and advantages are inherent in the disclosed apparatus or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.